Sexual Assault

Have
you ever been minding your own business at a coffee shop when a guy walks up to
you to compliment your hair or some other physical feature? While it may seem
good-natured on the surface, the truth is that such behavior is straddling the
line between innocent flirtation and sexual assault.

If
you brush his compliment off and don’t acknowledge the man’s advance, there is
always the possibility that he goes on his merry way and takes his loses for
the day. However, times have changed and a lot of times these flirtatious lines
are just precursors to more aggressive and ultimately unwanted advances.

I
can recount multiple times when I have either ignored the man or said that I
had a boyfriend (even if I didn’t), hoping he would just leave. But instead,
the man would start being confrontational and asking why I didn’t like him,
even though I didn’t even know him whatsoever. And even if the man eventually
left after a few seconds (or minutes) of aggressive dialogue, he still
assaulted me with his words and the intentions behind those words.

And
that is still just scratching the surface when it comes to sexual assault.
Sometimes men take it even farther and start touching women inappropriately.
This is particularly prevalent in the workforce where women almost feel forced
to allow touching by their bosses or other coworkers, simply because they fear
the repercussions if they refuse.

But
even if you are touched inappropriately as just described, keep in mind that
such sexual assault isn’t even the worst kind. There are numerous women around
the country who have been raped, which is just about the worst kind of sexual
assault out there. And the saddest part about it is that it can come from all
sorts of men.

They
may be strangers who you meet at a bar and unsuspectingly go home with (or in
worse cases they may even drug you so wake up in his bed with no recollection
of being raped at all). Or your boss who is making you have sex to keep your
job (or suggesting that it is the only way for you to get a promotion). Or in
the very worst of the worst cases, it may be someone from your own family who
is raping you. Whether it be an uncle, your brother, or your own father, being
raped by your family member is so terrible because there is an added emotional
trauma that comes along with it.

Keep
in mind that sexual assault in any form is absolutely disgusting and should not
be tolerated by anyone. If you are
sexually assaulted, it is important that you talk about it with someone close
to you and someone that you can absolutely trust with this sensitive
information. They will be your support system that you need. And perhaps the
most important thing to do is to disclose the sexual assault to an official
when you are ready. Coming forward in this way may be difficult, but you will be better off in the long run.